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Behind the Scenes with Lance

On Thursday, Armstrong said he was giving up his fight against doping charges brought by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. In doing so, the famed cyclist will be stripped of his seven titles in the Tour de France and will receive a lifetime ban from competing in any sport sanctioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency code. As the world reacts to Armstrong's announcement, SI looks back at this 2009 training session shot by photographer Elizabeth Kreutz, who was granted access to Armstrong's training sessions as he prepared for his return to racing after a four-year retirement. To view more of Kreutz's work, visit elizabethkreutz.com.